Gluten-free in College

I am going to be a rising junior at Washington University in St. Louis in the fall, which means I already have two years of college under my belt! These last two years have flown by, and I've gotten to learn so much academically and also just in life. It can be terrifying to start a new chapter in your life, and yet it is so freeing to know that you have a just a tad bit more control over your life as you enter adulthood. At the same time, that means you have to start taking care of things like food and for a lot of people laundry (it never ceases to amaze me that so many people had never done a load of laundry before getting to college).

When it comes to being gluten-free in college, you have to make sure you stay on top of your diet. College eating is unhealthy enough with late hours and pizza runs, so you have to make sure that you aren't cheating on your diet or getting cross contaminated! At my college they have a designated kitchen space to prepare the gluten-free items, and I've been in contact with the chefs to ensure everything I eat is gluten-free. I am also on our dining committee, and am able to provide feedback for the small things, just to make sure that there are enough options out there.

When you're looking at colleges, make sure you speak to the college's dining services team. To be completely honest, it definitely impacted my choice in which college I wanted to go to--because when you're focusing on your academics, sometimes you don't want to spend too much time picking out your food. For those who have already picked out their colleges and are super excited and nervous, check out my upcoming series for Gluten-free in College! I'm going to help you out with the tips and tricks I've learned in my two years to make the transition and time at college a blast with your diet :)!

Stay tuned for more tips and tricks and in the meantime, check out my dorm room tour for fun ways to decorate your dorm:

Enjoy!

-Sema